Google Updates the Google Pack

Last week, Google (relatively quietly) updated the Google Pack suite of applications. The idea of the Google Pack was to help making the lives of new computer users easier by providing a one-stop download of must-have applications for a...

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Last week, Google (relatively quietly) updated the Google Pack suite of applications. The idea of the Google Pack was to help making the lives of new computer users easier by providing a one-stop download of must-have applications for a new computer. Included in the pack are such popular apps as Google Desktop and the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Adobe Reader, and fun apps like Picasa and Google Earth. Google decided to update the pack after some criticism over how many things were included; RealPlayer, for example, which has since been labeled "optional," along with tools such as the Google Video player and Skype. Also, critics argued that the security applications included in the old pack, like AdAware, were outdated for new computer threats.

Google decided to address the concerns by including Symantec's Norton Security Scan, which detects and removes viruses (but does not function as an active-scanning antivirus tool) and PC Tools' Spyware Doctor Starter Edition for spyware removal. They also beefed up the included screensaver, Google Photos Screensaver, which can not only display photos stored on your computer or attached drive as a screensaver but can also stream photos from popular photo-sharing sites like Flickr and Picasa Web. If you shied away from the Google Pack before because you didn't like the selection of apps, these new updates might make it worth a fresh look.